Since the discovery of electricity, practically all building structures have been wired with electrical cable to provide electric current to outlets, lighting fixtures and a variety of building appliances such as heaters, alarm systems, ventilation systems, etc. For aesthetic purposes, electrical cable is usually installed behind walls, under flooring and above ceilings. Thus, the only visible signs that a building structure is wired for electricity are electrical wall outlets, switches and light fixtures. In the past, electricians would feed electrical cable throughout a partially erected building structures through holes drilled into studs and joists. Generally, electrical cable was strung haphazardly throughout the building structure. Today, local ordinances require that electrical cable, which is to be strung in newly erected building structures, must be organized in groupings of the electrical cable before the erected building could be approved for further construction. Specifically, electrical cable must be affixed substantially along a longitudinal centerline of a structural member such as a wall stud. Local ordinances requiring an organized grouping of electrical cables along the centerline of the structural member has created a demand for various installation clip devices.
One such device is a galvanized metal clip that has an L-shaped mounting structure and a hair-pin clip extending therefrom. The L-shaped mounting structure is nailed to the structural member which, in turn, automatically positions the clip into the center of the structural member. The plurality of electrical cables are gathered and placed within the hair-pin clip and a prong on the free-end portion of the clip is inserted through a hole and is bent to secure the wires along the centerline of the structural member.
Another type of installation clip device is a continuous wire clip device that includes a J-shaped mounting portion and a safety-pin portion. A small leg the J-shaped mounting structure is hammered into the structural member to support the continuous wire clip device thereto and, thus, the safety-pin portion of the continuous wire installation clip device is automatically positioned along a longitudinal centerline of the structural member. Again, the electrical cables are gathered and placed within the safety-pin portion so that the safety-pin portion can be latched closed to secure the electrical cables therein.
Yet another type of installation clip device is one made from molded plastic. A nail-holding structure slidably retains a nail at a 45.degree. angle to the structural member so that it can be pounded thereunto. A stacked array of clip elements are attached to the nail-holding structure as a unitary structure. Each clip element is adapted to laterally receive and retain an electrical cable.
Another plastic installation clip device includes a J-shaped collar portion that loosely grips the structural member. This J-shaped installation clip device is either nailed, glued, or stapled to the structural member. This installation clip device also includes a stacked array of clip elements with each clip element designed to receive and retain an electrical cable.
When only a single electrical cable is to be mounted to the structural member, there is usually no need to install an installation clip device because the single electrical cable is typically stapled longitudinally along the centerline of the structural member. A problem arises when subsequent to the installation of a single electrical cable, a second electrical cable is later required to be installed. Installing multiple electrical cables requires an installation clip device such as one described hereinabove. For ease and simplicity of installing the required clip devices, the originally-installed single electrical cable should be demounted from the structural member so that prior art installation clip devices can be fastened directly to the structural member either by nailing, gluing or stapling the same thereto. Fastening these clip devices has an attendant cost of labor and materials. Furthermore, some of the prior art installation clip devices, particularly the plastic ones, are rather bulky. As a result, only a small number of these clip devices can be carried in an electrician's apron. Alternatively, the electrician may hand-carry a bag or box of the prior art clip devices while moving about the partially erected building structure.
Therefore, a need exists in the industry to provide an installation device for which installation of multiple electrical cables can be done efficiently and effectively. It would be desirable to employ an installation device which does not require direct fastening to the structural member. Further, it would be desirable for an installation clip device which is compact, lightweight, easy to install and not bulky for carrying by the electrician. The present invention is directed to an improved installation clip device.